A drainage grate assembly having a drainage grate which is reinforced by a substantially continuous reinforcing member confined within the grate. The load rating for the drainage grate assembly can be adjusted by adding metal strips which can be disposed within and retained by the reinforcing member.
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25. An adjustable load rating drainage grate assembly comprising:
(a) an elongate drainage grate having a substantially planar drainage surface including a plurality of apertures there through and a pair of longitudinally extending side portions, each side portion extending orthogonally below said drainage surface and including a bottom flange extending toward the opposing one of said side portions;
(b) a reinforcing member disposed between said bottom flanges and an underside of said drainage surface so that an upper surface of said reinforcing member abuts said underside of said drainage surface; said reinforcing member further including:
a plurality of apertures there through, wherein at least a portion of said apertures in said reinforcing member are co-registered with at least a portion of said apertures in said drainage surface so as to permit the passage of fluids from said drainage surface through said reinforcing member, and a plurality of slots adapted to receive at least one strip of metal therein, at least one of said slots including at least one metal strip disposed therein, said slots being disposed within said reinforcing member in a manner adapted to alter said load rating of said drainage grate when a plurality of metal strips are disposed within said slots.
24. A reinforced drainage grate assembly comprising:
(a) an elongate drainage grate having a substantially planar drainage surface including a plurality of apertures there through and a pair of longitudinally extending side portions, each side portion extending orthogonally below said drainage surface and including a bottom flange extending toward the opposing one of said side portions;
(b) a reinforcing member disposed between said bottom flanges and an underside of said drainage surface so that an upper surface of said reinforcing member abuts said underside of said drainage surface, said reinforcing member including a plurality of apertures there through, wherein at least a portion of said apertures in said reinforcing member are co-registered with at least a portion of said apertures in said drainage surface so as to permit the passage of fluids from said drainage surface through said reinforcing member, and wherein said upper surface includes at least one substantially continuous longitudinal upper surface portion disposed inwardly of said portions of said grate disposed between said bottom flanges and said underside of said grate and extending longitudinally from a first end of said reinforcing member to a second end of said reinforcing member, wherein said reinforcing member further comprises a plurality of slots disposed therein, at least one of said slots including at least one metal strip disposed therein.
13. An adjustable load rating drainage grate assembly comprising:
(a) an elongate drainage grate having a substantially planar drainage surface including a plurality of apertures there through and a pair of longitudinally extending side portions, each side portion extending orthogonally below said drainage surface and including a bottom flange extending toward the opposing one of said side portions, wherein an inner dimension is defined between said pair of side portions;
(b) a reinforcing member disposed between said bottom flanges and an underside of said drainage surface so that an upper surface of said reinforcing member abuts said underside of said drainage surface; said reinforcing member further including:
a plurality of apertures there through, wherein at least a portion of said apertures in said reinforcing member are co-registered with at least a portion of said apertures in said drainage surface so as to permit the passage of fluids from said drainage surface through said reinforcing member, and a plurality of slots that are each adapted to receive at least one strip of metal therein such that the metal strip extends along the inner dimension of the drainage grate and is retained with respect to the reinforcing member by the bottom flanges, said slots being disposed within said reinforcing member in a manner adapted to alter said load rating of said drainage grate when a plurality of metal strips are disposed within said slots.
1. A reinforced drainage grate assembly comprising:
(a) an elongate drainage grate having a substantially planar drainage surface including a plurality of apertures there through and a pair of longitudinally extending side portions, each side portion extending orthogonally below said drainage surface and including a bottom flange extending toward the opposing one of said side portions, wherein an inner dimension is defined between said pair of side portions;
(b) a reinforcing member disposed between said bottom flanges and an underside of said drainage surface so that an upper surface of said reinforcing member abuts said underside of said drainage surface, said reinforcing member including a plurality of apertures there through, wherein at least a portion of said apertures in said reinforcing member are co-registered with at least a portion of said apertures in said drainage surface so as to permit the passage of fluids from said drainage surface through said reinforcing member, and wherein said upper surface includes at least one substantially continuous longitudinal upper surface portion disposed inwardly of said portions of said grate disposed between said bottom flanges and said underside of said grate and extending longitudinally from a first end of said reinforcing member to a second end of said reinforcing member, wherein said reinforcing member further comprises a plurality of slots disposed therein that are each adapted to receive a metal strip therein such that the metal strip extends along the inner dimension of the drainage grate and is retained with respect to the reinforcing member by the bottom flanges.
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The present invention relates to drainage grates used in connection with trench drains and the like for the drainage of surface water. Trench drains and similar drainage structures are used in a variety of environments, such as walkways, bike and foot paths, outdoor malls, parking lots, airport tarmacs and other traffic environments which require the drainage of surface water. Trench drains and drainage structures generally are known in the art as described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,630,966; 4,699,544; 5,462,382 and 4,553,874, incorporated herein by reference. In order to provide access of surface water to the drainage structure, while at the same time enabling practical movement of traffic across the structure, apertured drainage grates are typically employed to provide a substantially continuous surface over which pedestrian or vehicle traffic can freely move.
Drainage grates are typically made of varying gauges of sheet metal and are, therefore, subject to damage. Dents, buckles and perforations in the drainage grate are not only aesthetically undesirable, but are also safety concerns which can lead to injury to pedestrians and damage to surface vehicles. Accordingly, drainage grates must meet particular load ratings depending upon the environment in which they are to be used. Although there is no universal system for load rating of trench drains, the internationally recognized DIN 19580 standard, incorporated herein by reference, provides a good basis on which to distinguish between classes. Basically, for trench drains under 8 inches wide, a class A rating will withstand 15 psi within the standard 3 inch by 10 inch load footprint, and is typically used in residential and light pedestrian areas. A class B rating will withstand 140 psi in the load footprint, and is typically used for sidewalks and small private parking lots. A class C rating will withstand 280 psi in the load footprint and is appropriate for commercial parking lots and the like. Classes D and above will withstand 450 psi or more in the load footprint and are found in roads or other areas experiencing heavy wheel loads.
The requirement for different load ratings typically means that a manufacturer must provide different grates for different applications. Thus, in practicality, a manufacturer must provide grates of different gauges and materials or which include various reinforcements appended thereto. However, there are practical limits to the gauges of metal which can be used and, even when various reinforcements are included, they do not provide continuous support to the entire drainage grate surface. Thus, even a reinforced grate is still subject to damage in those regions which are not directly reinforced.
In view of the foregoing shortcomings, the present invention advantageously provides a reinforced drainage grate which provides continuous support to all or most of the drainage grate surface, and which can provide a wide range of load ratings without having to manufacture and inventory different grates for each desired load rating.
In accordance with the invention there is provided an improved drainage grate assembly which provides improved reinforcement and enables the use of varying gauges of sheet metal where other, more durable and costly materials such as cast iron might otherwise be required. Moreover, the instant invention is advantageously capable of providing substantially continuous support and reinforcement to the entire drainage grate. Accordingly, in one embodiment of the invention there is provided a reinforced drainage grate assembly comprising an elongate drainage grate and a reinforcing member disposed within the drainage grate. The drainage grate has a substantially planar drainage surface including a plurality of apertures there through and a pair of longitudinally extending side portions, each side portion extending orthogonally below the drainage surface and including a bottom flange extending toward the opposing one of said side portions. The reinforcing member is disposed between the bottom flanges and the underside of the drainage surface so that the upper surface of the reinforcing member abuts the underside of the drainage surface.
In one aspect of the invention, the reinforcing member has longitudinal side portions adjacent the side portions of the drainage grate and includes a plurality of apertures there through, wherein at least a portion of the apertures are co-registered with at least a portion of the apertures in the drainage surface so as to permit the passage of fluids from the drainage surface through the reinforcing member, and wherein the upper surface of the reinforcing member includes at least one continuous upper surface portion disposed inwardly of the portions of the member disposed between the lower flanges and drainage surface and extending longitudinally from one end of the reinforcing member to the other. In one embodiment, a plurality of the apertures in the reinforcing member are of substantially the same dimensions as, and co-registered with, a corresponding plurality of apertures in the drainage surface. In another embodiment, the area of the upper surface of the reinforcing member is greater than the area of the apertures in the reinforcing member. In yet another embodiment, the reinforcing member includes a plurality of apertures disposed orthogonally between the side portions of said drainage grate. Preferably, the apertures are disposed in a line or an array of lines substantially perpendicularly between the side portions of said drainage grate.
It is another aspect of the invention to provide a reinforcing member which further comprises a plurality of slots disposed therein, the slots being adapted to receive one or more metal strip therein. Preferably, the slots extend substantially perpendicular to the pair of side portions and are adapted to receive one or more metal strips therein. In this manner there is provided an adjustable load rating drainage grate assembly comprising the aforementioned drainage grate and reinforcing member, where the plurality of slots are disposed within the reinforcing member in a manner adapted to alter the load rating of the drainage grate depending upon the number and/or gauge of metal strips which are disposed within said slots.
In one embodiment, the reinforcing member does not include any metal strips and the drainage grate has a Class A rating. In another embodiment, the reinforcing member will include a plurality of metal strips disposed in a suitable number of slots in a manner adapted to provide the drainage grate with a Class B rating. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing member will include a plurality of metal strips disposed in a suitable number of slots in a manner adapted to provide the drainage grate with a Class C rating. In a preferred embodiment, the drainage grate and reinforcing member are substantially rectangular.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the reinforcing member includes at least one elongate fastening member extending orthogonally from its bottom surface which includes an enlarged distal end portion adapted to cooperate with a receiving aperture in a drainage channel. In the preferred embodiments, the reinforcing member is formed of a single piece of plastic. More preferably still, the aforementioned fastening member is affixed directly to the bottom of the reinforcing member or molded integrally thereto.
A greater understanding of these and other aspects of the invention will be had from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
As seen with reference to the drawings, the preferred drainage grate assembly of the invention comprises an outer drainage grate, shown generally at 1, and an inner reinforcing member, shown generally at 10. As seen most clearly with reference to
Typical metal gauges suitable for use in the manufacture of drainage grates according to the invention will be on the order of 2 millimeters or less. The particular type of sheet metal used will depend upon application and aesthetic requirements, although sheet steel is generally preferred. The particular gauge used will depend upon various factors including cost and grate width, with wider grates generally requiring thicker gauges. Of course, the reinforcing member of the present invention advantageously enables the use of thinner and hence less costly gauges. Selection of suitable materials will be within the level of ordinary skill in the art in view of the instant disclosure. Likewise, the stamping, rolling and bending processes used to fashion the drainage grates according to the invention are also well within the skill in the art. Accordingly, as will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art reading the instant disclosure, any standard metal shaping technique known in the art will be suitable for making and shaping the drainage grates according to the instant invention.
In a preferred embodiment, the drainage grate 1 is formed and shaped separately from the reinforcing member 10, such that the reinforcing member 10 is thereafter inserted longitudinally into the drainage grate 1 and secured in place. Alternatively, the drainage grate 1 can be formed and then shaped around reinforcing member 10, whereafter the reinforcing member 10 is secured in place within the drainage grate 1. The reinforcing member can be secured within the drainage grate by any means which does not interfere with its ability to properly seat within a drainage channel. Suitable means can include mechanical fasteners or the provision of additional flange portions at opposite ends of the grate 1 which can be bent over the opposed ends of the reinforcing member 10. In the preferred embodiment, the reinforcing member 10 includes one or more detents 8, in its periphery adjacent the flange portions 7, whereby the reinforcing member is secured within drainage grate 1 by a simple crimping or stamping action on the portion of the flanges 7 adjacent the detents 8.
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Consistent with the object of the invention to provide substantially continuous support for the drainage surface 3, selection of any particular combination and correspondence of apertures 14 in the reinforcing member with apertures 11 in the drainage grate will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the instant disclosure. Some preferred aperture configurations for the reinforcing member according to the invention are seen in
In embodiments of the invention wherein a thru-bolt is used to secure the drainage grate assembly, reinforcing member 10 will include a further aperture which must correspond to and be co-registered with a corresponding thru-bolt aperture 13 (
A disadvantage of having to employ either a through bolt or a through pin is the need for the additional through bolt or through pin aperture 13 and the need to form a recess 15 (
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As will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, depending upon the number and/or gauge of the metal strips present in slots 18, the reinforcing strength of reinforcing member 10, and hence the load rating of the drainage grate 1 will vary. As a general rule, the thicker the gauge and/or the larger the number of metal strips, the higher the load rating will be. Typical gauges for strips used in accordance with the invention will generally be two millimeters or less. Where it is desired to stock thinner gauge strips, multiple strips can be disposed side-by-side within a single slot 18 to achieve the desired effect. In carrying out the invention, one can theoretically obtain load ratings ranging from Class A to Class D or E using the reinforcing member 10 of the invention, although other means of reinforcement and or different materials will generally be used to obtain ratings above Class C. However, as load ratings and test methods may vary throughout the world, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention does not lie in the ability to achieve any particular standard or specific test specification. Rather, the invention lies in the provision of a reinforcing member which provides a means by which one of ordinary skill in the art can tailor the support provided to any particular drainage grate to any desired load requirements and obtain substantially continuous support.
In the preferred embodiments according to the invention, the assembly of the drainage grate 1 and reinforcing member 10 will provide a Class A load rating in the absence of any metal strips. Desired load ratings of Class B and Class C can readily be achieved by simply adding metal strips 30 to slots 18 and/or increasing the gauge of the metal strips being employed. In carrying out this aspect of the invention, one can readily approximate the number and/or gauge of metal strips required to obtain the necessary load rating by calculating the I-value for a simply supported beam as is known to those of ordinary skill in the art. However, in practicality, altering the load rating of any particular drainage grate assembly according to the invention is determined empirically by introducing the desired number of metal strips and testing the load rating using a suitable load footprint. This is particularly important because, as noted above, the invention is not limited to the ability to meet any particular rating, test or standard, but can instead be tailored to the needs of any particular situation. In the preferred embodiment, the load rating is empirically tested using a 3 inch by 10 inch load footprint according to DIN 19580, although other suitable methods will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the instant disclosure.
Modifications and variations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing detailed disclosure and drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that, with the scope of the appended claims, the invention can be practiced otherwise than shown and described.
Humphries, Derek, Humpage, Roy, Mayo, Gary Edwin
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Jun 15 2004 | HUMPHRIES, DEREK | Hadley Industries PLC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 015625 | /0919 | |
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